Aging in Place

"First of all, you're alone...if you fall between the cracks and you're not very well-to-do you're sort of like nowhere." - elderly woman living in San Francisco

San Francisco, known as a progressive city with world-renowned attractions, diversity, climate and vibrant youth movements, is graying: that is, of its 825,863 residents, 19.2% of them are over the age of 65. Almost half live alone, many have no relatives, and for the majority of this population, English is a second language.

With ripple effects of 'the Great Recession' affecting many Americans, especially aging Baby Boomers, the challenges this growing population contends with illuminates looming issues concerning health care, housing and quality of life for future generations.

My project “Aging in Place” visually explores the perspectives of the aging poor and mentally ill population in San Francisco. In addition to the photo essay, I made a multimedia piece with interviews of those I photographed which is now used by the hospital administration at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in the Tenderloin neighborhood to show doctors and other employees their patients’ life outside hospital walls.

OVER 30% OF SENIORS in San Francisco live alone, many have no relatives, and for the majority of this population English is a second language. With the ripple effects of the recession affecting most Americans and an aging Baby Boomer generation, the challenges this growing population contends with illuminates looming issues concerning health care, housing and quality of life for future generations.

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A DOUBLE-EXPOSURE of the Winton Hotel, an SRO (single-room occupancy) lodging in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. The neighborhood has seen an increase in isolated, poor elderly and chronically ill residents who are aging in place. The caustic environment of these hotels lead many elderly and sick residents' conditions to worsen and they are in and out of the hospital without support to bridge the gap between. San Francisco has begun a pilot program called the Homecoming Transitional Care Program with to respond to the needs of these residents and have seen a drop in hospital recidivism and an increase in self-advocacy, saving money for the City and empowering lives.

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OLYMPIA AT HOME. In her building which houses hundreds of low-income seniors there are no social workers or services. A social worker through the transitional care program accessed her home and found that mold and hoarding was leading to repeated trips to the hospital. She has not returned to the hospital for almost a year.

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LOW-INCOME SENIOR HOUSING in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. Though there are over ten floors and hundreds of residents, there is no social services or even a building maintenance worker. Without such services, many housing and health issues go undetected.

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GREG LITTLE, who suffers from congestive heart failure, was homeless and in and out of the hospital with no safety net of support for his serious condition. The Homecoming Transitional Care Program was able to get him stable housing, food and consistent medical attention for his condition. Mr. Little has stayed out of the hospital for several months, his condition stable.

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Harold Barber, a 80-year-old Korean War veteran, in his room at the Winton Hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin District.

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BETTY JEAN SITS in her temporary room at the Grenada Hotel. The transitional care program rented the room for her while she heals after falling down a staircase and injuring herself at her home where she lives alone after her husband passed away. The temporary room allows her to be close to the transitional care team, the hospital where B.J., as friends call her, is being treated and get daily assistance.